How Mileena Can Return For Mortal Kombat 2 (Despite Her Death)

Mileena fans, fear not – the villainous Outworld warrior can return easily enough in Mortal Kombat 2. Simon McQuoid’s 2021 Mortal Kombat adaptation received a warmer reception than most game-to-movie translations, and a follow-up looks likelier than Kano delivering a withering put-down upon meeting someone for the first time. Greg Russo (writer) describes Mortal Kombat as the first in a trilogy (pre-tournament, tournament, post-tournament), and in the film’s final moments, Cole Young and the Earthrealm fighters split up to find other champions who’ll join them at the forthcoming contest, with Johnny Cage top of their list.

One character who seemingly won’t be returning in Mortal Kombat 2 is Sisi Stringer’s Mileena. The right-hand woman of Shang Tsung, Mileena is Outworld’s earliest recruit, sent to do battle against Raiden’s hapless crop of trainees in Mortal Kombat‘s second act. Wielding her trademark sai, Mileena confronts Sonya Blade and easily gets the better of her opponent, but walks away after realizing Sonya isn’t a true champion. When the Earthrealm fighters chase after their evil counterparts, Mileena fights Cole, but gets a hole blasted through her torso by the returning Blade, now packing an arcana power and champion seal of her own. Missing the majority of her guts, Mortal Kombat seemingly writes Mileena out of a potential sequel. Luckily, the video games provide a tempting workaround.

In Mortal Kombat video game lore, Mileena is the cloned creation of Shang Tsung’s flesh pits. Shao Kahn, the Emperor of the Outworld, kills the king of Edenia and adopts his daughter, Princess Kitana, as his loyal ninja assassin. Afraid Kitana might learn the truth and betray him, Kahn instructs Shang Tsung to engineer a clone of the princess in his easy-bake genetic oven, the mysterious flesh pit. Mileena is the result – a cross-species clone of Kitana bred to show unwavering loyalty to Shao Kahn, and one day replace her “sister” at his side.

Although Kitana and Shao Kahn are conspicuous by their absence in the Mortal Kombat movie, Mileena’s clone origin could still be adapted in the sequel. As the most loyal of Tsung’s followers, Mileena could certainly have been a clone in Mortal Kombat, and when Sonya Blade kills her, approximately 70% of her corpse is left behind on the floor. Shang Tsung could mop up what remains of Milenna, toss it into the flesh pit, and recreate his subordinate with minimal fuss.

Not only would Mileena’s clone resurrection mean Sisi Stringer’s fan-favorite femme fatale can return in Mortal Kombat 2, but there’s also a tantalizing opportunity to renew her heated rivalry with Sonya Blade. During their first bout, Mileena didn’t even deem Sonya worthy enough to kill, but the ex-Special Forces champion gets her revenge after (very quickly) unlocking her arcana. If a new Milenna is created from the remains Sonya left behind, the clone is sure to be itching for a rematch, and a third round should be the pair’s best yet. In their opening bout, Sonya wasn’t yet a champion, and in their second, Cole was holding Mileena down ready for Blade to launch a surprise, gut-busting assault. Mortal Kombat 2 could finally give fans a proper, one vs. one deathmatch between Sonya Blade and Mileena – but only if Shang Tsung’s flesh pits come into play.

Even better, Mileena’s revival would bring her connection to Kitana into play. Although the Edenian princess doesn’t feature in the 2021 Mortal Kombat adaptation, her presence is hinted at via a fan in Raiden’s temple. Shang Tsung’s desire to make another Mileena clone could force Kitana from the shadows, incorporating their sisterly hatred as a sub-plot for the sequel, and widening Mortal Kombat‘s pool of video game inspiration.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3627 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

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Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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